The local weather guy or gal is likely to hype your typical storm because bad weather means good TV ratings. But when the staid and scientific folks at the National Weather Service say “Crippling and potentially historic blizzard to impact the area from late Monday into Tuesday,” you had better take heed.
Blizzard warning in effect from 1 pm Monday to 12m EST Tuesday night.
The national weather service in New York has issued a blizzard warning which is in effect from 1 pm Monday to 12m EST Tuesday night.Precautionary Preparedness Actions
A blizzard warning means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities will lead to whiteout conditions…Making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel. If you must travel…Have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded…Stay with your vehicle.
All unnecessary travel is discouraged beginning Monday afternoon…To allow people already on the road to safely reach their destinations before the heavy snow begins…And to allow snow removal equipment to begin to clear roads.
Heavy snow and blowing snow with blizzard conditions.
Snow accumulation of 20 to 30 inches. Snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour expected late Monday night into Tuesday morning. Temperatures will be in the mid-teens to mid 20s. Winds North 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph.
Light snow will begin Monday morning with accumulations of 1 to 3 inches possible by the evening rush. Snow will pick up in intensity Monday evening with the heaviest snow and strongest winds from about midnight Monday night into Tuesday afternoon.
Life-threatening conditions and extremely dangerous travel due to heavy snowfall and strong winds with whiteout conditions. Secondary and tertiary roads may become impassable. Strong winds may down power lines and tree limbs.
Source: National Weather Service
O&R Pre-Storm Statement
O&R has declared a company-wide Storm Watch in anticipation of a significant snow storm due Monday night through Tuesday.
O&R managers are running through the pre-mobilization check lists and staffing plans are being set for deployment. O&R has reached out to its mutual aid partners for assistance and, as a result, Upstate utilities are preparing to send crews to help out.
Winds are expected to be sustained between 20 and 30 miles per hour, gusting to between 35 and 45 mph.
Because this storm activity increases the potential for power line damage and electric service interruptions, O&R is preparing to mobilize its workforce to carry out the company’s Emergency Response Plan.
There are several ways customers can report outages and check service restoration status:
- Go to www.oru.com from any computer or web-enabled mobile device;
- Use the O&R mobile app from your iphone, iPad or Android device;
- Text “OUT” to 69678 (myORU); or
- Call Customer Assistance at 1-877-434-4100